Gun Island

The premise of Gun Island is focused on a Bengali folk legend featuring a figure known as the Gun Merchant (Bonduki Sadagar), who flees overseas to escape the wrath of Manasa Devi, the goddess of snakes and venomous creatures. While the Gun Merchant’s story is fictional, it is based on the existing folk legends and recognized Hindu deities, which Deen briefly mentions in the beginning of the book: Chand Sadagar and Manasa Devi. Manasa Devi is a Hindu goddess worshipped mainly in the northeastern states of India, and she is extremely prominent in Bengal, where believers pray to her for protection from snakebite. Manasa Devi’s regional appeal is explained by the geographical terrain of the places where she is most commonly worshipped. Bengal in particular is known for its numerous bogs and marshes that provide a prime habitat for snakes. Thus, although Deen thinks it strange that a shrine to a goddess exists deep within the Sunderbans mangroves in the Ganges river delta, the marshy terrain of this area in Bengal is actually quite fitting. Furthermore, just as the shrine in Gun Island is shown to appeal to different religions and communities, Manasa Devi is actually worshipped by a wide variety of Hindus, and her appeal transcends the boundaries still enforced by the effects of the socially stratified caste system of India. Manasa Devi’s worship typically takes place in the Hindu months of Ashad and Shravan, which coincide with the monsoon season, during which the resident snake populations become more active.

The legend of Manasa Devi and Chand Sadagar tells of a rich and wealthy merchant who is a devotee of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction. Shiva is one of the deities who make up the Hindu holy trinity, and he is often depicted with a snake around his neck. Angered by Chand Sadagar’s indifference, Manasa Devi kills six of his seven children by snakebite and sinks his fleet of mercantile ships. When Chand Sadagar still refuses to worship her, Manasa Devi swears to kill his youngest son, Lakhindar, by snakebite on his wedding night. To prevent this, Chand Sadagar locks Lakhindar and his bride, Behula, in an iron room on their wedding night, but Lakhindar is still bitten and dies as a result. Behula sails to the heavens with his corpse, and Manasa Devi, moved by her devotion, promises to restore Lakhindar to life in exchange for Chand Sadagar’s allegiance. The merchant finally relents in the face of his daughter-in-law’s tears, and man and goddess are finally reconciled (“The Story of Manasa Devi the Naga Goddess of Bhagirathi.” The Dharma Dispatch).

Elements of this story are featured in the plot of Gun Island as well, such as the unsuccessful attempt to hide from the goddess in an iron room. Furthermore, Ghosh uses the trappings of this legend (particularly the strategic appearance of snakes) as a symbolic shorthand to invoke the ongoing theme of The Conflict Between Humans and Nature. In Hindu philosophy, the dual forces of masculine and feminine energy are both necessary for creation. In the original legend, the male principle is represented by Chand Sadagar, and the primary conflict arises with his refusal to bow down to the female principle of nature, as represented by the goddess. As a result, he and his family are plagued by death and calamity until he is forced to reconcile with the goddess. This interpretation of the original legend can be seen in many of the dynamics of Gun Island as the plot unfolds, allowing Ghosh to more fully explore the ways in which human interests often run rampant and exploit the natural world.

From another point of view, Manasa Devi’s victory over Chand Sadagar in the legend can also be interpreted as a victory of the Indigenous narrative over the Aryan one, which represents the more dominant, mainstream culture (“Story of Goddess Manasa - Google Arts & Culture.” Google). In other words, the regional and local goddess Manasa Devi ultimately triumphs over the popular, Aryan god Shiva. It is important to note that Manasa Devi is not mentioned in the ancient Hindu texts and appears only in the newer versions, changing forms across regions in India (“Manasa.” Banglapedia). Thus, she is a representation of the local and the subaltern. Throughout Gun Island, Ghosh similarly attempts to give voice to the stories of marginalized communities—the migrants and the oppressed minorities, represented in turn by his cast of principal characters: Deen, Cinta, Tipu, Rafi, and Piya.